Curb valve box



April 25, 1933. L. G. HAASE ET AL CURB VALVE BOX Filed June 30, 1930 INVENTORS L.G. HAASE F. M. BROOKS FIGJ.

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 25, 1933 {UNITED stares Parent QFEICE LEO G. HAASE, OF LONG BEACH, AND FRANK M. BROOKS, F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO ART CONCRETE WORKS, INC., 0]? PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, ACORPOe RATION OF CALIFORNIA.

Application filed June 30,

Our invention is a valve'box of the type known as a curb valve box, usually formed of concrete or a similar cement structure, used for enclosing a water or gas valve or the like, such valve being installed usually between the service mains and the pipes of a building or other place using the water or g On account of the depth of the location of the water or gas valve varying considerably from the ground surface, on account of the difierent depths of bringing the service pipes from the mains and connecting from the house or building supply, it has been inconvenient to place suitable valve boxes enclosing the valves.

An object of our invention is a valve box open at the bottom, which is arranged so that sections .can be readily broken off the bottom to shorten the box in accordance with the depths at which the valves are located, and, in addition, the box is provided with opposite vertical slots to accommodate the water or gas pipes, and above these slots there are vertical sections of reduced thickness so that these sections may be readily broken out to the desired amount for leading to the valve when it has been necessary to shorten the box.

This construction is effected by forming the box of a tubular construction open at the bottom and having a plurality of horizontal grooves, each groove being in aplane transverse to the axis of the box so that the lower part of the box may be readily broken ofi" at any one of the grooves. The box is also provided with vertical, transverse slots usually positioned diametrically opposite which extend partly upwardly in the walls of the box to accommodate the pipes leading to the valve enclosed in the box, and the wall thickness of the box above the grooves is reduced compared to that of the thickness of the box adjacent thereto, so that when the lower part of the box is broken off to decrease its height the thin walls above the slots can also be knocked out to the desired amount for the accommodation of the pipes.

Another object and feature of our inven- 50 tion is the construction of a top or cover for coal; VALVE Box j 1930. Serial No. 464,888. a

a valve or similar box arranged to be readily brokenin cases of emergency and of'such a construction that the breaking of the cover will not break the supporting flange or seat of the box, as it frequently happens ino the old type of cover that where it is necessary to break the cover byfiremen or other parties to turn ofi gasor water the seat for the cover of the box has been broken, thus necessitating the installation of a new valve box.

To construct our readily breakable cover this is provided with a series of sockets or recesses on the under side, thus weakening'the construction so that a blowv of a firemans axe or sledge hammer will readily break the cover without destroying the flange or seat on which such cover rests.

Our invention is illustrated in connection wlth the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one of the boxes. 1

Fig. 2 is 'an elevation. I

Fig. 3 is a plan taken in the directionof the arrow 3 of Fig. 2. -f

A Fig. l'is a horizontal section taken on the 75. line 44 of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows on an enlarged scale. 7

Fig. 5 is an under side view of the cover takenin the direction of the arrow 5 of Fig. ,6.

Fig. 6 is an elevation partly broken away of the cover. 5 v A Our valve box has a tubular section 11 which is usually cylindrical on the outsidesurface 12 and tapers downwardly on the inside surface 13 so that the lower edge 14 is considerably thinner than the upper portion 15. The opening 16 at the bottom is thus of greater diameter than the opening 17 at the top. The box is provided with the usual seat 99 18 and an upwardly extending rim 19 to accommodatethecover 20.

The'lowerpart of the boxisgprovided with a series of circumferential grooves 21, each groove being in a plane at right angles 95 to the axis of the box. There are also a pair of vertical slots 22 usually placed diametrically opposite to accommodate the service pipes to the valve enclosed in the box. Above each slot there isa thin section 23. 199

This is indicated as having marginal edges 24 extending upwardly from the edges 25 of the slot and having an upper curved edge 26. The outside surface 27 of the thin section is substantially in alignment with the root 28 of the grooves 21.

In the use of our box if it is necessary to reduce the height, the lower portion of the box may be readily cut or broken off at any one of the horizontal grooves 21, and when the portion is out OK the thin section 23 may be readily broken out to a suflicient height above the broken lower end of the box to accommodate the service pipes. When the thin section is thus broken out it provides vertical slots.

In the construction of our cover to allow ready breakage we form in the under surface a series of recesses or sockets 29 which extend upwardly and leave a reduced section 30 in thecover. The cover has a lower marginal portion 81-to bear on the seat 18 and such cover fits inside of the rim 19 of the box. Ordinarilyqto fit the cover in place or remove such cover it is provided with a rectangular opening 32 which is illustrated as tapered downwardly havingtapering edges 33, and through this opening a tool may be inserted to lift the cover for installing or reits bottom for the reception of inlet and outlet pipes when the box is used as initially placing. However, frequently the covers become sealed to the box by dust and dirt and in case of a fire the firemen sometimes have to break the covers to turn ofl the valves. Manifestly, as the covers are weakened by the recesses 29 they may be readily broken by a blow of afiremans axeor a sledge hammer, this without danger of breaking the seat or flange 18.

Where the curb box is located in driveways or where a heavy load may pass over the box it is desired to use solid covers in place of these covers reduced in strength.

Various changes may be made in the de- I tails of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventio-nas defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A curb valve boxcomprising a tubular concrete structure open at the bottom, said structure having annular grooves thereon adjacent the bottom providing weakened places for breaking sections from the box to reduce its height, said box having upwardly extending areas of reduced thickness, which areas extend across the grooves and which may be broken out when a section or sections are removed to provide notches in the bottom of the shortened box for the reception of inlet and outlet pipes.

2. A curb valve box comprising a tubular concrete structure open at thebottom, said structure having annular grooves thereon adjacent the bottom providing weakened places for breaking sections from the box to reduce its height, said box having notches in 

